Skating Through Life
by control of chaos
Summary: Winter had ended in Arendelle, but for Jack, it was just beginning.


**Skating Through Life**

o

It's only half past** the point of no return**  
**The tip **of the iceberg,  
The sun before **the burn**  
The thunder before** the lightning**  
And** the breath** before the phrase  
Have you ever thrown** a fistful of glitter** in the air?

**P!nk**

o

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_****__**(¯ˆ·.¸**_(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don't care."_?__)**¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)**__**¸.·ˆ¯)**_

_****__**.**_

Spring is a season of life, of love, of hope and** new beginnings**, and this woman would give the world for this beginning to never end. She had never minded the cold—quite the contrary, there was nothing better—but Ana was someone that should never, ever again feel so frozen.

Elsa clutched to her sister, never more exalted to feel warm skin and the thrum of a heartbeat beneath her hands. "I knew you could do it." The bluish tinge was still fading from her cheeks, but the Queen of Arendelle lifted her sister by her arms and spun her a small circle. Then she was lifting the ice from the land and the fjord and the north wind was dying down behind her as spring returned and her own heart was finally thawing out and _how had her father been so wrong_? and for the first time in for_ever_ that warm westerly was a hundred times better than a snow flurry.

She knew in any other circumstances, on any other day, she would be glaring daggers at that prince and considering whether it was even possible to freeze his heart any further, but nothing could make that warm fluttery feeling in her chest diminish even the slightest, not attempts on her life, not attempts on her _sister's _life (ah, well, there was Ana with a nice, clean uppercut and that was that), not even the wariness that still hesitated in her people's eyes. It could all wait. All of it. Because she didn't have to be alone anymore and she didn't want to be anywhere but here.

She'd had enough of winter for now. It was time to enjoy the springtime.

Two hundred miles away, the worst winter on record came to an abrupt **and unexpected end**. A boy stands, hands upraised and outstretched to his own sister. "You're not gonna fall in." He's kicked off his skates, pale toes curled into the perhaps too-forgiving ice. When had it gotten this warm? "We're gonna have a little fun instead."

"No we're not!"

"Would I trick you?"

"Yes!" his sister yells back. "You always play tricks!" The cracks under her skates creaked and stretched, longer and deeper with each passing second.

The boy chuckled. She had a point. "Well, alright. Well, not…not this time. I promise." He really wanted to promise. "I promise, you're gonna be…you're gonna be fine." And he holds her gaze like he's throwing out life support. "You have to believe in me." There's nothing there but him, her and the melting ice.

She pauses, startled, and gives him a little smile. Who could resist such a charming big brother?

He grins in a shadow of his casual, joking demeanor. "You wanna play a game?" he teases, as if setting a wager on who could climb the great oak higher for the second time that day. "We're going to play hopscotch, like we play every day! It's as easy as…one…" he leaps, but caught off-balance almost yelps. He can't help but catch himself and turn it into a joke. "Whoaaaa." It's second nature by now. Anything to make her smile.

"Two…"

"Three!" He finishes with a flourish, as if to boast another job well done. With his right hand, he feels around for the crooked stick that had caught his eye earlier, but his eyes never leave hers. "Now it's your turn." And he's reaching out to her with wood trembling under his fingers but something bright in his eyes.

"One." Breathe in. Hop. Wobble. Stop. Breathe out. Safe.

"That it, that's it… Two." She's close. So very close and her fingers are reaching but it isn't close enough.

Hop. Wobble. Safe.

"Three!" He meets her halfway, sliding forward as she jumps and catches the staff and it's like a smooth, coordinated dance on the ice because he's falling but it feels like flying as the wind catches his hair in a friendly ruffle and skip the wobbles she's safe! He's never felt so breathless and so alive, and she must feel the same giddy butterflies because she's smiling and he can't help but give a breathy laugh.

Spring is the season of life and love and rejuvenation and suddenly he understands what all that mushy stuff about this time of year is about. Next time he'll check the ice before they skate.

_Winter had ended in Arendelle…_

He moves to stand, but something shifts below him. A sinking feeling settles in his chest as the ice stirs below his feet.

Spring is here.

Breathe in.

"Jack!"

Icy water burns his eyes, scalds his lungs, fills his throat, chills his heart. All he sees is darkness. And he's cold. So cold.

Breathe out.

"JACK!"

…_but for Jack, it was just starting._

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_**(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸(¯ˆ·.¸**(Do you feel cold and__ lost in desperation?__)**¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)¸.·ˆ¯)**_

.

o

**Linkin Park**

And in a burst of light that blinded **every angel**,  
As if** the sky** had blown the heavens into stars,  
You felt the gravity of tempered **grace**  
**Falling into empty space**,  
No one there to **catch you** in their arms.

o

**Skating Through Life**

* * *

A/N: Just watched _Frozen_ yesterday. Sorry, couldn't resist this one. All stories still on hiatus. Maybe some more one-shots. I'll know tomorrow if I have to have surgery on either one wrist or both. Until then, lots of thanks to my twin _Doppler Effect_ for editing my very, very stupid mistakes.

Also, yes I know it was summer in Arendelle. I like the spring metaphor. Just accept it.


End file.
